Horizontal lines are great for visually breaking up your Word documents, making them look more organized. Here’s how you can quickly add them using a couple of methods.
Method 1: Using AutoFormat Shortcuts
This is probably the fastest way to get a line into your document.
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Place your cursor where you want the line to appear.
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Type three hyphens (
---
) in a row and then pressEnter
. Word will instantly turn those hyphens into a neat horizontal line. -
Pro Tip: You’re not limited to just hyphens! Try these for different line styles:
- Type
___
and pressEnter
for a solid bold line. - Type
***
and pressEnter
for a dotted line. - Type
===
and pressEnter
for a double line. - Type
###
and pressEnter
for a thicker line. - Type
~~~
and pressEnter
for a wavy line.
- Type
Method 2: Drawing a Line Manually
If you need more control over the position and style of your line, you can draw it manually.
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Click on the Insert tab at the top of your Word window.
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In the Illustrations group, click on Shapes. A dropdown menu will appear.
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Under the Lines section, choose the kind of line you want to insert.
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Click and hold your mouse where you want the line to start, then drag your mouse until the line is the length you need. Let go of the mouse button when you’re done.